Advanced Stats: Goals Versus Threshold

By Glen Miller | Sep 2, 2011 | 3:49PM

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Hockey Prospectus, www.puckprospectus.com, is the hockey sibling in the famous Prospectus sports advanced stats analytics family. Some of their writers not only appear on the home site, they also do guest features on ESPN and other sports sites. They do a great job of analyzing the sport through the prism of advanced stats.

Tom Awad, one of the talented scribes and stat analysts on the site, developed a metric whose baseball comparable would likely be Runs Above Replacement-level (RAR). Awad called his player evaluation stat, “Goals Versus Threshold” (GVT) and with it determines a player’s on-ice contributions relative to a “threshold” or “replacement” player. (Before I go further I want to thank Tom for the help he has given me as I try to understand the GVT metric. Sometimes I just can’t grasp the nuts and bolts of these advanced stats. Tom has gone above and beyond in helping me to better understand.)

If you are a fan of baseball you may have heard of the RAR stat. This stat is a close comparable to GVT in that it represents a player’s value above a “replacement” or “threshold” player in a term (runs for baseball or goals for hockey) fans are familiar with. A “threshold” or “replacement level” player would be defined as the top AHL/minor league player in the organization or the highest ranking free agent on the market in-season (not a prospect) and carries a GVT or RAR value of zero. Basically the guy a club would go get in the event one of their regular players went down to injury or something to that effect. For Rangers fans think Chad Kolarik, Andre Deveaux or Kris Newbury.

The GVT metric takes into account the offensive, defensive and shootout contributions of skaters and the goaltending and shootout performances of netminders. The calculations are done separately based on position; forward, defense and goalie. That’s because the responsibilities associated with each position and the stats that accompany them are inherently different. Forwards tend to be expected to produce goals; the blueliners are tasked primarily with goal-prevention; and of course goalies are supposed to stop the puck from crossing their goal line.

The complex formulation also weighs ice time and the quality of that ice time. Obviously players who receive the most ice time have a better chance of accruing the type of counting stats that would help boost his GVT. Factoring the quantity of a player’s ice time serves to normalize his GVT. Just as important as considering the quantity of ice time is factoring for the quality of that ice time.

Clearly ice time is not created equally. For example; it is much easier to score goals while on the man-advantage than it is to score a goal while killing a penalty or at even strength. Thus the formula weighs the different types of ice time differently. It doesn’t punish a PK guy for allowing a goal as much as it would that player at even-strength or the PP. Conversely a player isn’t rewarded quite as well when scoring a marker on the PP as he would if scoring at even-strength or on the PK.

As part of a project I was working on at the time, I attempted to quasi-reverse-engineer the GVT stat so I could track players’ real time performances. Unfortunately, Hockey Prospectus has not been able to make that available to its readers… yet. Mr. Awad told me in an email that they hope to have the GVT stat live on the site by October.

Regardless, I quickly learned just how complex and comprehensive the stat is. I can’t imagine any potentially useful data that may have been omitted from this calculation. At the end of the day, I learned two things: One being that I had a love/hate relationship with Microsoft Excel; the other being that Tom Awad put a ton of work into the GVT metric. He accounts for offense, defense and shootout performance for skaters while factoring for a goaltender’s performance for regulation and in the shootout.

Here’s how some of our favorite Rangers ranked in GVT this past year and for comparative purposes I’ll include the finalists for this year’s Hart, Norris and Vezina trophies.

What I find interesting is that the Rangers had seven players with a GVT between 7.5 and 10.2. Gaborik was the highest rated skater at 10.2 but he wasn’t close to any of the Hart candidates. This suggests that the Rangers were a balanced club but lacked players who performed at a truly elite level.

Given that Hank rated slightly higher than Roberto Luongo, it stands to reason perhaps he deserved a Vezina nomination rather than the Canucks backstop. Regardless, even GVT backs up the voters awarding of the trophy to the Stanley Cup winning Tim Thomas.

I was surprised that Zuccarello rated so highly considering he played just half a season. Since GVT is more-or-less a counting stat, it is feasible that if the “Norwegian Hobbit” had played a full schedule he would have finished with a GVT around 11; or twice what he earned in half the campaign. That figure would have led Ranger skaters.

GVT is the one player evaluation metric that is close to being perfect. Unlike PC, GVT doesn’t appear to overvalue goaltenders quite like Ryder’s PC metric and it’s hard to argue either with the sheer volume of data included in the formula or with the actual mathematics behind it.

Following last night's win, Kevin Hayes told John Giannone that the Rangers held a team meeting before the game to talk about how tight things are in the standings. (MSG)

Hayes said that there isn't a lot separating first place from last place and that the Rangers are now around 30 games and they are "starting to matter." (MSG)

He said that the Rangers had a pretty good team effort against the Jets, albeit too close at the end, but that they need to play every game like that. (MSG)

Ryan McDonagh said that it's "crazy" that they are starting to talk about playoffs "but it's a good sign with our group."(MSG)

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Alain Vigneault's comments after the Rangers win in Winnipeg

7:37AM

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Jan 22, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault looks on from behind the bench during the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. The New York Rangers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports (James Guillory)

Alain Vigneault met with the media on Thursday in Winnipeg following the Rangers win over the Jets (NYR):

Do you love 2-1 wins, "I love wins and the score doesn't really matter. I thought that tonight we played a good game. We had a real strong first period, in the second they had a good push and their defense was very active on the forecheck and made it a little more challenging for us. Going to the third we had two penalties to kill, did a real good job there, got a bounce to get us a 2-1 lead. Should have had some bounces in the first, we had some open nets we couldn't cash in on but we found a way to win and that is what counts."

On urgency, "I think that any player or coach or management that is looking at the standings sees the importance of games. Everyone is battling real hard, points are real important and I am sure that Winnipeg felt it was an important game for them. We felt that way and tonight we were able to get the job and now we get on the plane and go to Chicago."

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The game-winning goal from Kevin Hayes

Dec 8 | 10:50PM

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Kevin Hayes was awarded the Broadway Hat after scoring the game winning goal against Winnipeg on Thursday.

Vigneault discusses injuries before facing Winnipeg

Dec 8 | 7:43PM

Alain Vigneault met with the media in Winnipeg prior to tonight's game (NYR):

On the lineup, "it's going to be a good lineup. Obviously we are missing a couple of key elements but every team in the NHL goes through injuries. Like I have mentioned many times it's an opportunity for other players to step in and have a bigger role. Our D will be the same and we will make a couple of adjustments up front but we will be in good shape."

Will you keep the lines the same, "I don't have an answer right now. We are playing a team that when I look at their lineup and I see two really strong offensive lines. Depending on how the game unfolds we will have our work cut out, lots of speed and skill. I have certain ideas that I would like to do but we have to get out and play and hopefully play well."

Will Grabner and Jensen both play, "yes. Jimmy is still day to day. Grabs got in last night and skated this morning."

Jimmy is out, "he is out, day to day."

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Jimmy Vesey is OUT tonight against the Jets

Dec 8 | 6:10PM

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Sep 29, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers left wing Jimmy Vesey (26) skates against New Jersey Devils left wing Vernon Fiddler (38) during the first period of a preseason hockey game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)

Jimmy Vesey is being listed as day to day by Alain Vigneault and will be OUT against the Jets tonight. (Cyrgalis)

Vesey was riding the bike this morning with nothing on his "hand/arm/wrist." (Cyrgalis)

The need for the Rangers to "dig deeper" every night

Dec 8 | 3:44PM

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Oct 19, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault looks on from the bench against the Detroit Red Wings during the third period at Madison Square Garden. The Red Wings won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports (Andy Marlin)

Over the last 8 games the Rangers have alternated W, L, W, L, W, L, W, L.

In those 8 games the Rangers have 21 goals for, 24 against and are averaging 27 shots per game for and 32 shots against.

The Rangers are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games.

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Jensen and Grabner to play Thursday night against the Jets

Dec 8 | 2:42PM

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Sep 29, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New Jersey Devils goalie Scott Wedgewood (31) allows a goal to New York Rangers right wing Brandon Pirri (not pictured) in front of New Jersey Devils left wing Blake Pietila (56) and New York Rangers right wing Nicklas Jensen (39) during the third period of a preseason hockey game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)

Nicklas Jensen will make his Rangers debut Thursday night against the Winnipeg Jets. (Cyrgalis)

Michael Grabner will also return to the Rangers lineup after missing Tuesday's game to return to Austria after his grandmother passed away. (Cyrgalis)

Brandon Pirri hasn't picked up a point in the past 10 games, putting only 12 shots on goal, a minus-6 rating and an average of 13:44 per game.

In the past 20 games, Pirri has a goal, three assists, a minus-3 rating, 31 shots on goal and an average of 13:25 per game.

Pirri had four goals and two assists in the first seven games of the season while averaging 11:32 per game.

In late October, Alain Vigneault said that Rangers' management really liked Pirri's release and hands and that he jumped at an opportunity in training camp and has, "come up big for us in a couple of games."

Rick Nash will be out for one week with a groin injury

Dec 7 | 6:48PM

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Nov 21, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Rangers right wing Rick Nash (61) receives congratulations from his bench after scoring a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at the PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports (Charles LeClaire)

The Rangers have announced that following his MRI, Rick Nash will be out for one week after tweaking his groin last night.

The latest updates on Pavel Buchnevich

Dec 7 | 4:47PM

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Nov 12, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; New York Rangers right wing Pavel Buchnevich (89) skates with the puck against the Calgary Flames during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. New York Rangers won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports (Sergei Belski)

12/8/16 | 11:03PM: Buchnevich was diagnosed with a "protruding disc" at the start of his rehab. (NY Post)

12/7/16 | 4:46PM: Vigneault said on Wednesday, "he is continuing the process of the rehab. Right now they feel that he probably needs some more time improving his strength level until they really start gearing him up on the ice. They are working on off-ice stuff, they feel he needs more time so there is no definite timetable. The strength needs to improve before they can really push him on the ice."

On Buchnevich, "I haven't talked to anyone today because we didn't go to the practice facility, but I am pretty sure that he continued his rehab and if I haven't heard anything then things must be on the right track."

Do you have a return date, "initially everybody was talking about 3-4, we are probably in that 2-3 week range right now."

Alain Vigneault's comments on Pirri, Lundqvist and more

Dec 7 | 4:43PM

Alain Vigneault met with the media on Wednesday prior to the Rangers flight to Winnipeg (NYR):

On Nash, "Nash is getting an MRI as we speak. As we said yesterday he tweaked his groin and they are finding out exactly what the issues are. I'll have a better update on that tomorrow."

On Vesey, "Jimmy hurt himself, upper body related. Would say that he is day to day at this point. He will make the trip.....and I would say that he is going to make the trip (smile)."

On the rush of injuries, "this is just part of the NHL and it is what it is and you deal with it. You get a lot of players at different times that wish they could get more ice time to prove that they could have a bigger role and do more. No better time than the present for us right now. This is a real good opportunity for some forwards here to get some extra minutes. It's an opportunity for our top guys to play a top role and give us some contribution. That is what we will look for tomorrow."

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Nicklas Jensen called up from Hartford and what he said today

Dec 7 | 3:51PM

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New York Rangers right wing Nicklas Jensen (39) and New Jersey Devils defenseman Andy Greene (6) chase a puck into the corner during the third period of a preseason hockey game at Madison Square Garden. (Brad Penner)

3:46PM: Jensen said today (NYR):

"I was following the game last night and knew that there would be a chance. I think 20 minutes after the game ended Ken called me and said that I was going up."

"I just want to work as hard as I can out there and hopefully use my offensive abilities if I get the chances. Play hard and try to be hard to play against in all three zones."

"I feel good. Our team has been off to a slow start but the last two weeks have been better. Personally I think it's been going pretty good and I am confident and happy and excited to be here."

"It's my first NHL game with the Rangers, I don't know what the plan is. I am ready to go and excited."

Jimmy Vesey is being listed as day to day

Dec 7 | 1:57PM

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New York Rangers left wing Jimmy Vesey reacts to a goal scored by defenseman Nick Holden against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Madison Square Garden. (Andy Marlin/USA Today Sports Images)

12/8/16 | 7:40AM: Vesey's injury is unrelated to a slash he took in the second period against the Islanders, according to Larry Brooks. (NY Post)

12/7/16 | 4:47PM: Alain Vigneault said that Vesey will make the trip but would not confirm if he would play.

Vigneault also said, in a question about Oscar Lindberg, that he had to see if Vesey will be available against the Jets.

Rick Nash is having an MRI today

Dec 7 | 1:56PM

Nov 6, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers left wing Rick Nash (61) skates during the third period against the Winnipeg Jets at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports (Danny Wild)

12/7/16 | 4:48PM: Alain Vigneault said on Wednesday,"Nash is getting an MRI as we speak. As we said yesterday he tweaked his groin and they are finding out exactly what the issues are. I'll have a better update on that tomorrow."

12/7/16 1:55PM: Nash is undergoing an MRI today and the team should know more about his status tomorrow. (NYR)

12/6/16 10:14PM: On MSG, Alain Vigneault confirmed Rick Nash's apparent injury, "Rick tweaked a groin so he had to leave the game" and added that he will have more information on his status tomorrow.

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Rangers Blue Line Podcast: Injuries, Henrik Lundqvist and more injuries

Dec 7 | 12:56PM

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Brian Compton, Adam Rotter, and Nick Licalzi look back at the Rangers' loss to the Islanders at the Barc on Tuesday night, and discuss the Blueshirts' recent spate of injuries that have clearly affected the team's play on the ice. Later, Brian and Nick chat with Tracey Byers from CSN Chicago as the Rangers and Blackhawks are set to square off twice in the next week.

The impact of not scoring on that 4 minute PP in the first period

Dec 7 | 10:14AM

The Rangers had 10 shots on the PP in the first period last night with 9 of them coming on a 4 minute double minor for high sticking.

On that PP, the following Rangers had shots:

Zuccarello: 2 on goal

Pirri: 2 on goal

Stepan: 1 on goal, 1 blocked

McDonagh: 1 blocked

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Alain Vigneault's comments after the Rangers loss to the Isles

Dec 7 | 8:51AM

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Alain Vigneault spoke with the media on MSG following the Rangers loss to the Islanders:

On the 4 minute PP, "there is no doubt that it had an impact. We had some real good looks in the first period on our PP. Their goalie made some big saves and you need to score those timely goals and we didn't do it tonight. We had the looks, I thought we battled hard, tried to come back but their goalie, without a doubt, was the best player on the ice and we didn't finish on our opportunities."

On Nash, "Rick tweaked a groin so he had to leave the game. Obviously we lost Puempel on a concussion there. We were short a couple of bodies but that is not an excuse, you gotta find ways and we battled hard but just couldn't finish when we had the opportunity."

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Matt Puempel suffered a concussion Tuesday night vs. Isles

Dec 6 | 10:14PM

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(Derik Hamilton)

10:13AM: Alain VIgneault said on MSG that Matt Puempel has to go through the standard conussion protocol.

Asked if he had any comments on the hit, Vigneault said that he would let the league take care of it.

Vigneault talks lines before playing the Islanders

Dec 6 | 5:33PM

Alain Vigneault met with the media prior to tonight's game against the Islanders and said (NYR):

" we are going with the same lines that we had yesterday at practice. Grabs is not playing, he isn't here, Josh is not going to play also. Same six D we had last game and same four lines."

How are you different without Grabner, "definitely a big factor as far as our speed element. Everybody knows how quick Grabs has been at creating turnovers and jumping on loose pucks, using his speed to back off the opposition D. He has been real good for us shorthanded but that is part of the game. You don't have all your players in every game and we are missing a couple of key elements, that is part of the NHL and we have to find a way to get a good game on the ice."

On Buchnevich, "I haven't talked to anyone today because we didn't go to the practice facility, but I am pretty sure that he continued his rehab and if I haven't heard anything then things must be on the right track."

Do you have a return date, "initially everybody was talking about 3-4, we are probably in that 2-3 week range right now."

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The Rangers lineup for tonight against the Islanders

Dec 6 | 5:12PM

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Josh Jooris will be a healthy scratch for the Rangers tonight against the Islanders. (Brooks)

Marek Hrivik will skate on the Rangers fourth line with Matt Puempel and Brandon Pirri. (Brooks)

The Rangers want to put more pucks on net

Dec 6 | 12:13PM

Alain Vigneault said on Monday that the Rangers need to put more pucks on net but not at the expense of their creativity.

Vigneault noted that the Rangers are first in the league in scoring but 28th in the NHL in shots on goal per game.

He said that the Rangers have had a high shooting percentage since he has been the coach and that may have to do with getting "better quality shots."

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Marek Hrivik will make his season debut for the Rangers tonight

Dec 6 | 9:18AM

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Feb 25, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues goalie Jake Allen (34) blocks the shot of New York Rangers left wing Marek Hrivik (46) during the third period at Scottrade Center. The New York Rangers defeat the St. Louis Blues 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports (Jasen Vinlove)

Lundqvist said that his game is all about "focus," his "reads" and "decisions" and that the "key for him is not to think ahead and just stay in the moment of that play. (NY Post)

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Alain Vigneault's comments after practice today

Dec 5 | 3:19PM

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Alain Vigneault spoke with reporters on Monday after practice and said (NYR):

On Buchnevich, "he has been following the program to the letter. Everyone that is working with him right now feels real good about the progression he has made. The next step is taking this to the ice and seeing how he is going to respond. He went alone today and we will see how he responds and hopefully in the next couple of days we can take it to the next level.

Will he make the trip later this week, "I would say no, at this time. I would say no for sure that he isn't going to play. There might be a decision in there as far as bringing him to skate with the goalie that is not playing that day but we will have to see how the next couple of days go."

On today's practice, "we haven't had a lot of practice time lately and the guys had a full day. We were able to work on a few things today, PP, D-Zone coverage and different breakouts we can utilize for different pressures that we are seeing. We got a good days work and a real good game in front of us tomorrow."

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Michael Grabner will not play against the Islanders tomorrow

Dec 5 | 12:17PM

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(Adam Hunger)

12:39PM: Alain Vigneault says that either Josh Jooris or Oscar Lindberg will be scratched tomorrow. (NYR)

12:17PM: Michael Grabner will not be with the Rangers tomorrow and is traveling home to Austria after his Grandmother passed away. (Brooks)

Marek Hrivik, who was called up, will reportedly skate with Brandon Pirri and Matt Puempel.

Grabner was at practice today but skated on a fourth defense pair with Adam Clendening. (Brooks)

From the Rangers announcement: "Hrivik, 25, has skated in 20 games with the Wolf Pack this season, registering eight goals and nine assists for 17 points, along with a plus-three rating and eight penalty minutes. He leads Hartford in points and shorthanded goals (two), is tied for the team lead in goals and assists, and is tied for second in plus/minus rating in 2016-17. Hrivik has recorded at least one point in 13 of 20 games this season, and he has posted a six-game point streak (Oct. 14 - Oct. 28) and a five-game point streak (Nov. 11 - Nov. 19) this season. He notched two points (one goal, one assist) and posted a plus-one rating in his last game with Hartford on Dec. 3 at Toronto."

Ryan McDonagh said that at times the Rangers got the puck but stopped moving their feet. He said that the Rangers weren't anticipating the play or thinking fast in the first two periods. (Rangers Game Note)

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Mats Zuccarello had a strong game against Carolina

Dec 4 | 6:41PM

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Dec 3, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers right wing Mats Zuccarello (36) during a break in action against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports ( Adam Hunger)

Mats Zuccarello had two points yesterday against Carolina, his first multi-point effort in nine games.

He had two assists, a plus two rating, 3 shots on goal, 1 shot attempt blocked and one giveaway in 19:18.

Zuccarello said that he felt he played better and that he "had to." (Nettavisen)

He said that the way he played against the Hurricanes is how he has to play and that "I must try to play that in every game." (Nettavisen)

What Alain Vigneault said after the Rangers win over Carolina

Dec 4 | 9:05AM

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(Jerome Miron)

Alain Vigneault met with the media following the Rangers win over Carolina (MSG):

"I would say that I think the first couple of shifts of the game that I liked. The third, when the game was on the line, I liked. There was a four minute stretch that I liked and everything in-between, because there are some kids in the room here, I'm not gonna tell you what I think of those moments. We found a way in the third period when the game was on the line to play our best hockey and get two points. We will take it and get ready for the next game."

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What the Rangers did differently in the third period

Dec 3 | 4:41PM

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Dec 3, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goalie Michael Leighton (32) looks up at the replay as New York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider (20) and his teammates skate to their bench after a goal during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports ( Adam Hunger)

Alain Vigneault listed the following things about what changed for the Rangers in the third period of today's game (MSG).

He said that the Rangers "started to:"

"skate"

"move the puck"

"make a couple of plays with the puck"

"made a couple of plays defensively"

"Drove the net"

"scored a couple of goals"

Derek Stepan said that the Rangers started to do good things in the third, such as "shooting the puck," generating second opportunities and maintaining zone pressure. (MSG)

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Kreider nets two in the third to lead Rangers 4-2 over Carolina

Dec 3 | 3:28PM

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GEICO SportsNite: Rangers on win00:01:12

Alain Vigneault and Derek Stepan talk about the Rangers turning it on late with three goals in the 3rd period to beat the Hurricanes.

After answering the first question about that particular game, Vigneault was asked again if he felt it was a consistent issue and said "I do think that there were portions of the last games where we have been spending too much time in our zone."

He added, "we will take a look at it and try and fix it."

Derek Stepan said that he didn't have an answer for why this was happening and questioned whether it's structure related, "bad reads or a combination of things." (NY Post)

Vigneault said that the Rangers know all of the different scenarios and situations they may face in the neutral zone and said "we have analyzed them inside and out, we know how to beat them, we know the execution that is needed. We just need to execute better."

He talked about making the right kind of play with the puck such as a direct pass, putting the puck into an area where you can skate into it or just chipping it deep.

Adam Rotter: These teams that trap can be beaten and it shouldn't take a Herculean effort from Rick Nash to make it happen. There is no doubt that teams are out to limit the Rangers speed and, for the most part, they have been able to do so lately. If it all comes down to simple passes, simple plays and dumping and chasing to win on a certain night then that is what the Rangers have to do. If they can grab a lead and then handle the pressure being placed by the opposition then they should be in good shape to win most games. If they can't then it's very possible that the inconsistent and frustrating Rangers of last season could return.

Alain Vigneault announced earlier today that Henrik Lundqvist will start against the Hurricanes on Saturday. (NYR)

He stopped 26 of 28 shots against Carolina on Tuesday in the Rangers win and 30 of 34 shots on Thursday against Buffalo.

Lundqvist said that the goals scored against him on Thursday were "flukey" and he said that he felt he played a strong game, made a lot of "good saves" and felt that he was moving and tracking the puck well.

Alain Vigneault talks Miller, Klein after Friday's practice

Dec 2 | 4:05PM

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New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault gives instructions during an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Thursday, March 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) (Gene J. Puskar/AP)

Alain Vigneault met with the media on Friday after Rangers practice (NYR)

On JT Miller Alain Vigneault said, "He was a maintenance day. That injury, that shot he blocked where he had some stitches is still nagging. We gave him the morning off considering that we have an afternoon game tomorrow at 1. He should be fine and good to go." (NYR)

On Kevin Klein, "I'll make my lineup decisions but there is a good chance that he will be back in the lineup tomorrow."

What do you expect from Klein, "I expect him to play better. Kevin is a gritty defensive type defenseman that plays with some jam. He can chip in now and then in the offensive part when the opportunity is there. I just felt that the last little while there wasn't enough, maybe urgency to his game. I am hoping to see that tomorrow with a little bit of bite and if we see that we will have a good defenseman. He has been very good for us, very reliable player in the past and maybe his game just slipped a little for an amount of time."

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JT Miller is still dealing with a knee injury but should play tomorrow

Dec 2 | 3:47PM

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Nov 21, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Rangers left wing J.T. Miller (10) clears the defensive zone against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at the PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports (Charles LeClaire)

JT Miller did not practice today and Alain Vigneault said that Miller is still dealing with a "nagging knee injury."

Vigneault said, "he was a maintenance day. That injury, that shot he blocked where he had some stitches is still nagging. We gave him the morning off considering that we have an afternoon game tomorrow at 1. He should be fine and good to go." (NYR)

Miller took a Mats Zuccarello shot in his knee cap last Sunday, missed practice Monday and played on Tuesday and Thursday before missing today's practice.

Kevin Klein will likely play against Carolina tomorrow

Dec 2 | 2:22PM

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Nov 21, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Kevin Klein (8) skates with the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at the PPG Paints Arena. The Rangers won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports (Charles LeClaire)

5:22PM: Vigneault said on Friday, "I expect him to play better. Kevin is a gritty defensive type defenseman that plays with some jam. He can chip in now and then in the offensive part when the opportunity is there. I just felt that the last little while there wasn't enough, maybe urgency to his game. I am hoping to see that tomorrow with a little bit of bite and if we see that we will have a good defenseman. He has been very good for us, very reliable player in the past and maybe his game just slipped a little for an amount of time."

2:20PM: Alain Vigneault said today that there is a "good chance" that Kevin Klein will return to the Rangers lineup tomorrow against Carolina. (NYR)

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JT Miller not practicing/Kevin Klein is skating in regular rotation

Dec 2 | 12:50PM

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JT Miller is not skating at Rangers practice and has been given a maintenance day. (NYR)

Kevin Klein is skating with Brady Skjei and Adam Clendening is skating as an extra at rotating in. (Cyrgalis)